Tag Archives: Train
Western Balkan Trains
Railway Gazette have reported in September that there is going to be sizeable investment into train infrastructure in the Western Balkans. Agreement has been reached between Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to improve connections and journey times. Progress is definitely needed of course, but at a cost to the throwback […]
Norway Train Upgrades
On my inter-rail trips of 1989 & 1992 I undertook many train journeys through the glorious Arctic landscapes of Norway and the rest of Scandinavia. There was no way that my travel companions or I could afford a sleeper berth in those days. Hell, we could scarcely afford a beer in those pricey Nordic lands! […]
My Iconic Travel Moments – 2011 to 2019 (#5)
Number 5 – Train to Georgia You may well know by now that I love an overnight train journey – throw in a dining car with fabulous views too and I am completely bowled over! In 2015 I travelled to Georgia from Istanbul, taking a train to the edge of the Kurdish region of Turkey […]
Travelling By Train Across The Balkans
My train travel book is now available from Amazon. Travelling By Train Across The Balkans chronicles my trips over the past twenty years or so in the intoxicating region. It features train travel in Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Northern Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and European Turkey. The Balkan Peninsula conjures up […]
Turkmenistan Train Trip
I am reflecting on a trip that I made in 2018 from Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat to the eastern city of Mary. Ashgabat to Mary by Train Having spotted a train travelling through the desert northwards from Ashgabat to Dashoguz close to the Uzbek & Kazakh borders, our excitement to be embarking on our only train […]
Sunday Photos – Train in Sheki, Azerbaijan
Oh how I long for an overnight train journey again – that would represent a long overdue return to normality. The last such journey I undertook was in late 2019 with journeys from Baku to Sheki and back sandwiching a single nights’ stay in the fine city slightly off the beaten track. The train arrived […]
The Railroad in Damascus
I count myself incredibly lucky to have travelled to Syria in 2009. My trip there counts as one of my all time best – little did I know of the horrors that were soon to unfold, as I received an incredibly warm welcome everywhere I visited from the smiling locals. The whole country appeared so […]
Euro 2020 Rest Day 6 – Non Qualifiers – Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo
So now we know the Euro 2020 final will be between Italy and England. Phew! Two former Yugoslav nations are the subject of nations that did not qualify for the finals. Bosnia & Herzegovina Mostar is a wonderful city to visit. Synonymous with the Yugoslavia War when the iconic Ottoman Bridge was blown up, it […]
Euro 2020 Quarter Final 1 – Spain v Switzerland
Now it starts to get serious. Three wins away from becoming European champions. Both these nations needed extra time to go through, with Switzerland also needing penalties to defeat favourites France. The match takes place in St Petersburg. Spain Many Basques do not consider themselves as Spanish. The language & culture are certainly much removed […]
Euro 2020 Rest Day 1 – Non-Qualifying Nations – Moldova, Greece & Norway
With the group stage now over there are a couple of rest days before the 8 last 16 ties. As there are no games, I thought I’d feature some of the European nations that did not qualify for the finals. Moldova Moldova is said to be the poorest nation in Europe. This is personified in […]
